The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-21
JAKE SHAR.'S SENTENCE.
The Great Eriber Sent s'7g-Sing for Fou
Year

The Great HribeT Sent S'7g-Sing for Eor!
Year
New YORK, July 4.--Jacob Sharp
slept better last night than for some
nights previous. but it seemed to be
the sleep of utter exhaustion and he
seemed to be but little refreshed BY
it when he arose at 8 o'clock this
morning. His wife sat by his bedside
through the night tanning him while
he vas asleep and giving him cool
ing drinks when he awoke at inter
walls. After he arose from bed she
assisted him to dress for his second
trip to the Court of Oyer and Ter
miner, to receive sentence
Mr.. Sharp and the rest Of his fam
lily, like the prisoner himself, were
silent The excitement was becom-
ing quite feyerish, when sudden
hush came over the room as three
raps on the door announced the en-
trance Of Judge Barrett at exactly
1915.
The clock was indicating exactly
the hour of y when Sharp was al
most carriel into the Courtroom.
His suffering wife and son-in-law
we're close behind him. and deep
lines of WEAKNESS and sorrow over
spread their faces as they seated
themselves beside the convicted man
and famed his liyid face without
bringing anything like semblance
OF color back to it.
Mr.. Martin, of the defense, moved
for new trial, but Judge Barrett,
denied the molten.
District Attorney MAJ tine then
stood up to move the Court to SEN
tence the prisoner. lie stctcd that be
considered it his duty to ask the
Court to appoint physicians to look
into the prisoners condition of
health and read some certificates
from Drs. Allen. Hamilton and Jane
way to the effect that the prisoner S
health was very bad and that he was
suffering from diabetes, Inflammation
of the kidneys and organic disease
of the heart, which were of serions
import to a man of his years. He
then read DR.. Hamilton's report on
the condition of Sing Sing and the
arrangements for the care of the
sick, which, he said, were of the
most excellent character all around.
Mr.. Mitchell then stood up to
make last appeal for the defence.
He said he did not wish to delay the
Court, but would ask the Judge to
temper justice With mercy. Judge
Barrett then proceeded to deliver
THE SENTENCE.
He said that he had never per-
formed so delicate a task in his whole
professional career. He had received
many letters from many people
pleading mercy and otherwise, but
the Court was not appointed to be
nerciful any more than was dicta-
ted by the laws of justice. A judge
is appointed to award the penalty in
accordance to the offence when all
the circumstances connected with
the commission of the offence have
been duly weighed and considered.
The defendant here, in his appeals
for mercy, can give nothing as a
plea for clcmency but age and sick
ness. On the merits Of the case he
certainly is entitled to none. 1t is alb
surd to state that he was not guilty
of giving a bribe, as he was un1nis-
takably the leader of the whole af-
fair. We have not herein. as in the
case of the aldermen, any attempt to
prove the defendants good charac-
ter. The crime itself was an enor-
nous one. The raising Of half a
million of dollars to-corrupt half the
Legislature. Judge Barrett re-
viewed the corrupt action of the de-
fendant in forming bogus company
to contract with the Seventh Avenue
Railway, Of which he was director,
and alluded to the defendants Sc
curing million dollars Of profit and
the sheer larceny for which he could
have been indicted just as we'll as for
bribery. What is there to excite
pity or mercy except the age and i'll
health Of the prisoner and theme
ing condition of his family ? With
over one million dollars in his pocket
he clamors for mercy without offer
ing to pay back penny Of the mo-
nev stolen, SO that should he die in
prison his family has vast fortune
to fall back upon.
At this Mrs. Sharp buried her face
in her handkerchief and wept silent
ly, while the prisoner himself did not
lift his face from the table
The Legislature, continues Judge
Barrett, does not allow US to 60 be-
low the minimum penalty in such a
grave offence as the present is. All
cannot be satisfed-those who clam
or for the prisoners receiving the
full penalty of the law and those
calling for reprimand All things
have been considered, and the judg-
ment of this Court is that the pzis-
oner be confined for four years at
! hard labor and that be pay a fine OF